Refrigerating apparatus



@ci'ifi, 1955 K. K. KEsuNG 2,767,942

- REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed March 18, 1955 INVEVTOR.

5 Keiih K. Kesiing REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Keith K. Kesling, Dayton,Ohio, assignor to General Motors (Iorporation, Detroit, Mich., acorporation of Delaware Application March 18, 1953, Serial No. 343,145

1 Claim. (Cl. 312-313) This invention relates to refrigerators andparticularly to refrigerator cabinets of the vertical home freezer type.

Considerable difficulty has been encountered in the use of home freezerrefrigerator cabinets, particularly of the vertically elongated frontopening type provided with a plurality of horizontally disposedvertically spaced apart food supporting shelves, wherein a near zerotemperature is maintained throughout the storage chamber thereof for thefreezing of various food products and for the reception and storage ofprefrozen packaged frozen foods. Wrapped or packaged frozen foods areordinarily placed one upon another in vertical adjacent tiers or stackswithin the compartments or on shelves in refrigerators of this type asdistinguished from higher temperature refrigerator cabinets wherein foodproducts are spread or spaced apart over food supporting shelves. One ofthe dficulties arises by virtue of the fact that it is troublesome anduncomfortable for the user to hold frozen food packages when the freezercabinet door is opened and a package in the central portion of a tier orstack thereof Within the refrigerated chamber is to be removedtherefrom. Another difiiculty is that some of the frozen food packagesand particularly the uppermost packages of tiers or stacks thereof atthe front of the refrigerated chamber are jarred loose and slideforwardly of the chamber against the cabinet door during the act ofclosing this door. Consequently when the refrigerator cabinet door isagain opened the loosened package abutting against the inner face of thedoor falls out of the chamber. The falling package or packages maystrike and injure a housewife and at best the housewife does not favorthe frozen food packages falling upon and sliding across the floor.

It is an object of my invention to provide in a vertical home freezerrefrigerator cabinet a single device which in addition to improving thesame in eliminating the aforesaid difiiculties also serves a dualpurpose for the user thereof.

Another object of my invention is to provide a vertical home freezerrefrigerator cabinet with a readily accessible auxiliary food shelfwhich may be utilized during the act of rearranging packaged frozenproducts in the refrigerated chamber as a support for packages removedfrom the chamber.

Another object of my invention is to provide means within a verticalhome freezer refrigerator cabinet for preventing packaged frozen foodsstacked in the storage chamber thereof from shifting toward the front ofthe chamber and against the chamber door.

A further object of my invention is to provide in the refrigeratedchamber of a vertical home freezer refrigerator cabinet a substantiallyflat reticulated member which when in one position serves to preventpackaged frozen foods from shifting forwardly of the chamber against thechamber door and when adjusted to another position serves as anauxiliary food supporting rearrangement shelf or ledge at the front ofthe refrigerator cabinet.

In carrying out the foregoing objects it is a still further rates atcntG i and more specific object of my invention to provide a swingableauxiliary food supporting shelf in the refrigerated chamber of avertical home freezer cabinet which when not utilized as a food supportcan be adjusted and locked in another position at the front of packagedfrozen foods located in the chamber to thereby form a barrier or stopfor packages between the front of the chamber and the chamber door whileat the same time providing passages for the flow of air from one portionto another portion throughout the height of the chamber.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings wherein a preferred form of the invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front view of a vertically elongated home freezerrefrigerator cabinet having my invention embodied therein and showingthe cabinet door in open position;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of therefrigerator cabinet shown in Figure 1 taken on the line 22 thereof anddisclosing the cabinet door in closed position with an auxiliary shelflocated vertically between the door and packaged frozen food in thecabinet;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the auxiliary shelfraised to an unlocked position;

Figure 4 is also a view similar to Figure 2 showing the shelf swungabout its mounting into a substantially horizontal position; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 55of Figure 2 showing the mounting means for the shelf at one side of therefrigerator cabinet.

Referring now to Figure 1 of the drawing I show a vertically elongatedhome freezer refrigerator of the type wherein the entire food chambertherein is maintained at subfreezing temperatures, to which my inventionis particularly applicable, as distinguished from a conventionalhousehold refrigerator having a main unfrozen food storage chamber and asmall freezing compartment therein. This home freezer refrigeratorcomprises a cabinet having outer shells or panels 11, an inner metalliner 12 and any suitable or conventional insulating material 14 (seeFigure 2) disposed therebetween. Liner 12 forms the top, bottom, backand side walls of a frozen food storage chamber Within the refrigeratorcabinet. This chamber is divided into a plurality of superimposedcompartments 15 by vertically spaced apart food supporting surfaces orshelves 16. These shelves or surfaces 16 may or may not be directlyrefrigerated as desired. The chamber is provided with an access openingin the front of the cabinet which is normally closed by an insulateddoor structure 17. A closed refrigerating system associated with thehome freezer cabinet includes a refrigerant translating device, usuallylocated in a machine compartment below the refrigerated chamber, and anevaporator or cooling means for refrigerating the interior of thechamber and foods stored in all of the compartments 15 thereof to asubfreezing temperature. In the present disclosure this evaporator orcooling means is in the form of a refrigerant evaporatin conduit 19 (seeFigure 2) wrapped or coiled around the liner 12 and preferably securedin intimate thermal contact with the outer wall surfaces of liner 12.The cabinet construction includes any suitable or conventionalinsulating breaker strip structure 21 disposed between the front edge ofliner 12 and the front edge of outer walls 11 at the access opening ofthe refrigerated chamber.

Since the refrigerator cabinet disclosed is of the type employed toreceive prefrozen packaged foods such as ice cream, various fruits,vegetables, canned concentrated juices, canned precooked meats or fowland thereto.

wrapped or packaged fresh meat, fowl, fruit, vegetables, etc., to befrozen and stored therein such packages, indicated by the dot-dash lines23 in Figures 2, 3 and 4 of the drawing,.are placed one on top of theother in tiers or stacks. This is done by reason of .thefact that thesefood products are cooled or refrigerated by conduction and radiationrather than primarly by ther- 7 of the front opening type the cartons orpackages 23 are susceptible of being'movedor slid relative to oneanother. For example, the uppermost packaged food products 23 of a stackthereof on the supporting surface 16 at the front of a compartment ofthe present refrigerator, particularly those recently placed in thecornpartments 15, will readily slide from' a lower package of the stack.Consequently, any minor jars or vibrations may cause the uppermostcartons or packaged food 23 in a compartment 15 to slide outwardlythereof against the inner face of door 17. The mere closing of door 17of the refrigerator'cabinet herein disclosed frequently causes a cartonor package 23 to move into the position just described. Thus asubsequent opening of door 17 will cause the slid carton or packagedfrozen food product 23 abutting the door to fallout of the refrigeratedchamber.

In accordance with my invention 1 provide means which in addition toforming a rigid barrier or barricade within the refrigerator cabinet,intermediate door 17 and the ,forwardrnost stacks of cartons or packagedfoods 23, is also adjustable to provide an auxiliary shelf or transferledge at the front of the chamber of the refrigerator cabinet forsupporting packages of frozen food while rearranging other of thepackages within compartments 15, placing packages therein and/orremoving packages therefrom. permit air in the refrigerated chamber toflow at will from one compartment 15, above a supporting surface 16,into another of the superimposed compartments so as to reduce to aminimum any temperature gradient between the compartments 15. In thepresent disclosure this means is in the form of a substantially flatreticulated or perforated member generally represented by the referencecharacter 25. One of these members 25 is associated with each of thecompartments 15 (see Figure 1) and extends across the refrigeratedchamber. Each member 25 comprises a wire bounding rim or frame 26 havinga plurality of spaced apart wiresi? extending thereacross and welded orotherwise suitably secured Eac member 25 also includes a fiat metal leg28 welded or otherwise suitably secured to the side portions of boundingframe 26 thereof. The end of. each leg 28, projecting outwardly frommember 25, is enlarged and includes a straight edge urface 29 utilizedfor a purpose to be hereinafter disclosed. A substantiallykeyhole-shaped opening 31 is provided in the end portion of each leg 23.A stud or pin 32 is passed through a suitable opening provided in eachof the side walls of liner 12, adjacent the access opening of therefrigerated chamber, and is threaded into a flat piece of metal 33lying along the outer surface of liner 12 to reinforce the same at thepoint of mounting the members 25 thereto (see Figure 5). This stud, 32hasra head portion 34 vertically elongated to provide flat side wallsthereon. The opposed studs 32 serve as hinge pinsto. permit pivotalswinging movement of the members 25 in a vertical direction atthe frontof the cabinet. A stop stud36, disposed below the head 34 ofstud 32,passes through a hole in liner 12 and is also threaded In storing foodThis means is of a type that will' into the metal reinforcing piece 33.These stationary studs 32 and 36 project inwardly from the side walls ofthe refrigerated chamber and are employed to support each member 25 intwo different positions as will be opening 31 in legs 28 of member 25 ismade large enough to receive the elongated head 34 of stud .32. Inassembling a member 25 to the refrigerator it is held at the front ofthe refrigerated chamber and its legs 23 are manually sprung toward oneanother so as to position the enlarged rounded portion of openings 31 inregistration with the head 34 of the opposing studs 32 Upon releasingthe legs 28 they will spring outwardly'relative to one another and causethe wall of openings 31 to slip over the head of studs 32 to therebypivotally mount a member 25 upon the cabinet. In Figure 2 of the drawing1 show a member 25 disposed in an uprightposition in the uppercompartment 15 intermediate the stacked packaged foods 23 and thechamber door 17 to form a barrier therebetween. In this position ofmember 25 the elongated fiat wall portions of keyhole-shaped opening 31 fitover and engage the fiat'walled sides of the elongated head 34 of stud32 to prevent movement of member 25 about its' mounting stud 32. Thusmember 25 is locked in an upright position to provide a rigid barrierbetween the stacked frozen packaged food .23 in compartment 15 andchamber door 17. While in this position the barricade provided by member25 prevents any of the packages 23 and particularly the uppermostpackages in the front tiers or stacks thereof from sliding forwardlyagainst the inner face of door. 17 upon closing this door or upon theoccurrence on any other jars or vibrations transmitted to therefrigerator cabinet. The member 25 being reticulated or perforated, byvirtue of the open wire mesh thereof, permits air to flow from one.compartment 15 into another so as to prevent the occurrence oftemperature gradients between the compartments. In order to unlockmember 25 and swing the same about its pivotal mounting the chamber door17 is opened and this member is raised or elevated so as to bring theenlarged round portion of the keyholeshaped opening 31 in legs 23thereof into registration with the length of the elongated head portion34 of stud 32 as shown in Figure 3 of the drawing. Thereafter member 25may be swung outwardly of the refrigerated chamber about its pivotalmounting studs 32 and downwardly until the straight edge surface 29 onlegs 28 engage the stop studs 36 (seeFigure 4). This po-' sitions themember 25 in a substantially horizontal plane adjacent the front of therefrigerated chamber and slightber 25 may thereafter be rotated aboutits pivotal mounting back into its vertical position shown in Figure 3of the drawing whereupon it will move downwardly to cause registrationof the elongated flat wall portions of opening 31 with the flat wallsurfaces of head 34 of stud 32 to again lock the member 25 in itsvertical barricade forming'position (see Figure 2). The cabinet door 17may thereafter be closed.

it should be apparent from the foregoing that I have provided animproved vertically elongated refrigerator of the domestic or homefreezer type. My improvement in addition to-forrning a barrier forpreventing packaged frozen foods from sliding forwardly of therefrigerated chamber, against the chamber door where they may fall outof the cabinet upon the floor when the chamber door is subsequentlyopened, also serves as a transfer ledge at the front of a compartmentfor receiving packaged frozen articles during rearrangement thereof inthe compartment while being supported from within the chamber. By virtueof the novel mounting of the combined auxiliary shelf and barrierforming member it has little contact with walls of the refrigeratedchamber and even if frost or ice should build up about this mounting tobind the member such frost or ice bond can be readily broken by theleverage applied to the member during the act of initiating movementthereof.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosedconstitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted as may come within the scope of the claim whichfollows.

What is claimed is as follows:

A refrigerator cabinet of the vertically elongated home freezer typeincluding an insulated chamber provided with a front access opening, adoor normally closing said chamber access opening, a plurality ofvertically spaced apart supporting surfaces in the chamber dividing sameinto superimposed compartments adapted to receive and support packagesof frozen food in stacked one upon another relation on the supportingsurface thereof, a substantially fiat member associated with the frontof one of said supporting surfaces, said member extending substantiallyacross said chamber and terminating in the vicinity of the supportingsurface next above said one supporting surface, means for pivotallymounting said member within said chamber for vertical swinging movement,said mounting means comprising hinge pins separate from and independentof said one supporting surface and said member, said hinge pins beingstationarily secured to opposed side walls of said chamber below saidone supporting surface, each of said hinge pins including a head havingvertically disposed fiat walled sides, said mounting means alsocomprising legs on said member, the outer end portion of each leg onsaid member having a keyhole shaped opening therein, said keyhole shapedopening in the legs of said member fitting over the head of said hingepins, the flat walled portions of said keyhole shaped opening in saidlegs normally engaging the flat walled sides of the head of said hingepins to lock said member in an upright position intermediate said closeddoor and the stacked frozen packaged food on said one of said supportingsurfaces to form a barrier therebetween, said barrier preventingpackages of a stack thereof at the front of said one supporting surfacefrom moving relative to other packages in said stack into engagementwith said door, said member being liftable upwardly relative to said onesupporting surface to release the flat Walled portions of the keyholeshaped opening in said legs from the flat walled sides of the head onsaid hinge pins and to move the rounded part of the opening intoregistry therewith, said member thereafter being swingable outwardly ofsaid chamber and downwardly around the front edge of said one supportingsurface about said hinge pins when said door is opened, and means forstopping the downward swinging movement of said member to position samein a substantially horizontal plane at the front of said one supportingsurface whereby it provides a transfer ledge for receiving andsupporting packagesof frozen food during rearrangement thereof in thepart of said chamber above said one surface, said stopping meanscomprising a stud stationarily secured to the cabinet below each of theopposed hinge pins for engagement by an edge of the legs on the member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,335,999 Stover Apr. 6, 1920 2,092,430 Stratton Sept. 7, 1937 2,118,735Money May 24, 1938 2,124,857 MacGrath July 26, 1938 2,222,201 Ito Nov.19, 1940 2,287,611 Harbison June 23, 194-2 2,470,956 Savidge May 24,1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 875,760 France June 29, 1942

